HR1020

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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the 
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State of Illinois are pleased to congratulate the City of 
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Beardstown on the occasion of its 175th anniversary; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Beardstown was first settled in 1819 and is the 
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sixth oldest chartered city in the State of Illinois; the 
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city's founder, Thomas Beard, originally from Granville, New 
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York, with his friend, General Murray McConnel of Edwardsville, 
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arrived at the Indian Mound Village in 1819; Mr. Beard erected 
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a log cabin at the edge of the Illinois River and began trading 
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with the Indians; he went on to start a ferry service crossing 
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the river in 1826 and later built a two-story brick building 
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which was used for 85 years as a store and inn; this inn 
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sheltered the young lawyer, Abraham Lincoln, on his visits to 
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Beardstown; the inn was torn down when the new modern post 
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office was erected on the site;  and

 
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    WHEREAS, Many people soon settled in this bounty land; in 
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1829, the city was platted and named for Thomas Beard; the 
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original town consisted of 21 blocks along the river front, 3 
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blocks deep, with City Square as the center block; both Abraham 
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Lincoln and Stephen Douglas gave speeches in the square during 
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their senatorial campaign in 1855; as a young man, Abraham 
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Lincoln was chosen to lead the Sangamon County company of 
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soldiers during the Black Hawk War in 1832; he was installed as 
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Captain on a spot near the Illinois River, located in Schmoldt 
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Park at the North end of Wall Street in Beardstown; and

 
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    WHEREAS, By 1834, Beardstown was a growing port that 
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shipped from its wharves grain, hogs, and provisions to the 
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interior of the State and downriver to markets; it became known 
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as "Porkopolis" because of its stockyards and slaughterhouses, 
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where more than 50,000 hogs were processed annually; the 
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railroad came to Beardstown in 1869 with the laying of the 
 


 






HR1020
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LRB093 22425 HSS 51784 r




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Rockford, Rock Island, and St. Louis Railroad track; Beardstown 
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was an important division point, and a roundhouse was built in 
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1882 for repair of engines; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Beardstown, located on Mile 88 of the Illinois 
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River, was at one time known as the Belle of the Bend; its 
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famous marina was a well-known boat stop for river travelers; 
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today, many hunters and fishermen travel to Beardstown for 
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sport because of its many natural bays, streams, and wooded 
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areas; surrounding the town is a marsh that is the habitat for 
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several species of wildlife; local people still use the 
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Illinois River for pleasure as well as to earn a living; in the 
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days of old, fishing was a major industry in the area and 
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button factories opened along the river because of the mussel 
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and freshwater pearl fishing; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Agriculture is important in the area, Beardstown 
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being well-known for its production of watermelons, which are 
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trucked to many major cities in the country; nearby farms also 
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produce corn, soybeans, Christmas trees, hogs, and cattle; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The City of Beardstown will celebrate its 175th 
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anniversary July 2, 2004 through July 4, 2004; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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congratulate the City of Beardstown on the occasion of its 
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175th anniversary; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to the City of Beardstown as an expression of our 
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esteem and with best wishes for a prosperous future.